This message has several meanings. See what may be true for you today.

Rest is needed. If anxiety has been creating restlessness at night, and you’ve been having difficulty sleeping, try a natural remedy like melatonin or GABA to help you relax and fall asleep. You can also try restorative yoga, deep breathing and meditation to guide your mind and body into a restful state. Turn off your phone before bed, and create a relaxed atmosphere. Try to let go of whatever you’re worrying about, and give yourself permission to recharge so you can face any problems with a fresh, calm mindset.

Nighttime dreams. If you’ve been having vivid dreams lately, you may want to ask yourself what is your mind trying to tell you while you’re asleep? Are your dreams peaceful or fear-based? Often, our dreams express strong emotions, whatever we may be ignoring during the day. Don’t be afraid of your dreams, just ask yourself, what can I learn from this?

Day dreams. If you’ve been working hard toward a dream and some days find yourself doubting it will ever happen, or exhausted from all of your hard work, it’s a sign you’re burnt out. Take a time-out from building the dream, and try a nap. Inspiration comes with rejuvenation.

If you’ve felt overwhelmed about achieving a dream, break it down into small steps. Be realistic about your time. Time management and prioritizing will help you get things done more effectively. Patience is needed. Rome wasn’t built in one day.

If you have dreams of a new love, job, a vacation, weight loss…whatever your dream may be, don’t give up on the possibilities. Do what’s in your control right now, and leave the rest to God. Positive action almost always leads to positive results, so keep learning all you can and working toward your dream. Keep the faith!

When I discovered a white lump smack on my eyelid, I assumed it was acne from a clogged pore. But it was hard to the touch, like a tiny pebble, and it wouldn’t budge. It didn’t cause any pain, and I soon noticed that a family member also had one on her eyelid. I didn’t like the way it looked, but it wasn’t causing any irritation, so I got over my ego and ignored it.

A few months later, after wearing eyeshadow regularly, the bump started to hurt. An angry, red circle of inflammation formed around it. I could no longer wear make-up. It hurt to blink. Now I had to seriously do something about it.

I did some online research and learned it had a name: milia.

What are milia?

Milia are tiny white cysts that look like whiteheads, and they commonly form around the eyes, and on the eyelids, after something clogs the ducts leading to the skin surface. They are formed when keratin (a substance produced by the skin) becomes entrapped beneath the outer layer of the skin, forming a tiny cyst. They’re common in people of all ages, including infants.

What causes it?

The cause of my cyst was not being diligent about removing eye-make up. Too often, I’d fall asleep thinking because it’s mineral or “natural” make-up, it would be fine to get a little lazy about taking it off. Silly logic. Anything sitting on the eyelid too long is bound to clog the skin, which can lead to milia.

Solutions to heal it

Dermatologists recommend piercing the eyelid cyst with a lancet. I watched it done on You Tube and knew it wasn’t my first choice, so I researched more options. I learned the key factors to removing milia are:

Exfoliating the tough outer skin of the cyst

Using a topical ointment to dry it up

I used St. Ives apricot exfoliating cleanser, gently rubbing the cyst once to twice daily. I then tried manuka honey, vitamin E and other natural remedies but nothing was working. It was still inflamed, hurting and hard as a rock. I finally asked my husband, a registered nurse, if he would be willing to lance it for me. He agreed. We home scheduled for the next day. He felt confident about sticking a needle in my eye. I did not.

So I did a bit more research and learned that salicylic acid dries up milia. For three days, I gently exfoliated the cyst with St. Ives, and added a drop of Burt’s Bees daily moisturizing lotion with salicylic acid. On the third day, my eyelid felt itchy. I rubbed it, and the cyst fell right off. I wiped the spot with alcohol and let it be. There is no trace it was ever there.

I was thrilled with the results of this easy healing solution, which is why I’m sharing! This inexpensive fix:

Saved the cost of a dermatologist visit

Saved the cost of products that cost upwards of $40 without guaranteed promises

Spared the discomfort of having a needle lance my skin (ouch!)

Spared the warnings of infection if you keep irritating it

Spared having to use toxic chemical creams

Worked in just three days and left no scar!

Milia prevention

I bought a jar of eye make-up remover pads at the local drugstore so no matter how tired I am, it only takes a few seconds to wipe my lids clean.

What worked for me may not work for you. Of course, talk to your dermatologist if you have concerns, and never try anything at home that doesn’t resonate with you.

This book, by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend, is transformational.
I first discovered it when shopping on Amazon for a dear friend of mine who recently suffered a miscarriage. She fell into a depression and was struggling with the loss. There was nothing I could say to make it better, but I did want to send her something uplifting. So I bought her an essential oil by Plant Therapy called Tranquil. I love the scent, and hoped it would bring some comfort to her.

While I was ordering it, I saw this Boundaries book pop up in one of those clever online marketing tools…customers who bought that, also bought this…

The reviews said it was biblical based, which made me cautious, because maybe like you, I was thinking I hope this isn’t bible thumping or judgmental. I decided I would take a chance and order two copies: one for my friend, and one for me.

We received our copies around the same time. My cell beeped with this text message: “Oh my God, this is so me!”

I texted my friend back that I know, it’s me, too!

We formed our own little duo book club, sharing our love for this book and it’s clear teachings about boundaries.

It’s true, it does reference the bible, but with good reason. It addresses the many Christians who have been misguided to believe that God wants us to be martyrs, ceaselessly giving to others and believing it’s selfish to say no. The psychologists who wrote this book are Christian men, and their interpretation of the bible is radically positive and refreshing. The authors show how God wants us to set boundaries, to give within our limits and to be happy. They throw in a few positive bible verses to back their beliefs up. This book is especially useful if you tend to over-give and often push past your limits.

This book is filled with insightful psychological tips to create healthy relationships at work, at home, with yourself, your partner, kids and families. The bible is just a way to bring the spiritual component in, to acknowledge this bigger reason to give ourselves permission to create and respect our boundaries. It’s all about feeling worthy of claiming your health, inner peace and happiness.

You may be surprised how often you may have crossed boundaries with loved ones, especially spouses, siblings and parent and kid relationships. These are subtle behaviors that are so common, and also the core problem in a lot of stresses we experience with loved ones. It also offers great work advice, explaining how projection can interfere with the present moment and how a boss or co-worker can trigger an unhealed relationship you’ve had from the past that hurt you due to poor boundaries, and how strong boundaries can help heal present problems. This book is equivalent to paying for an expensive healing course. It’s packed with information, and will empower you to have healthier and happier experiences at home, at work and with yourself. It addresses burn out, resentment, guilt, difficulty saying no and much more.

One of the lessons this book teaches is the difference between being responsible for someone and to someone. The second most important lesson is that no one has the power to make me feel guilty. I give them that power from having weak boundaries. I am responsible for my own emotions, the same as others are responsible for theirs.

Those of us from dysfunctional homes may have learned this is being mean or selfish, especially if we grew up feeling blamed for our parents unhappiness, or if we had spouses or in-laws who blamed us for their dysfunctional behavior. This book clarifies the confused thinking that leads to unnecessary suffering so we can make confident decisions based on self-love and loving others the way we feel guided, instead of how they demand us to be. It helps us discern healthy relationships from unhealthy ones, and provides clear guidance what we can do about it.

If you were raised feeling responsible for your parent or family member and often putting yourself last, this book can be so healing. For anyone who experienced trauma or co-dependent relationships, this book can be so healing. For anyone who works in therapeutic settings, this book can be so helpful. Really, I think for everyone, this book can be helpful and healing.

This book has been so popular and effective, the authors have provided even more support with their additional books: Boundaries in Dating, Boundaries in Marriage, Boundaries for Leaders, Boundaries with Kids and Beyond Boundaries: learning to trust again in relationships. If you’re interested in checking them out, here’s the link on Amazon.